Head Coach Graham Potter will field two different West Ham United teams in Saturday’s pre-season opener at Grasshopper Club Zurich.
After a week of hard work in the Black Forest in south-western Germany, the Hammers travelled across the border into Switzerland this morning ahead of the 3pm CEST kick-off at Grasshopper’s GC/Campus in Niederhasli, a few miles north-west of the city our hosts call home.
The first half lineup will see Alphonse Areola start in goal, behind a back four of Jean-Clair Todibo and Maximilian Kilman in the centre and Hammer of the Year Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Young Hammer of the Year Ollie Scarles in the full-back positions.
The midfield will be anchored by FIFA World Cup-winning Argentina international Guido Rodríguez, with James Ward-Prowse and Andy Irving alongside him.
Captain Jarrod Bowen will start on the right, Ivory Coast international Maxwel Cornet on the left supporting Germany centre-forward Niclas Füllkrug in attack.
With this being the first match action of pre-season, Potter will field a fresh XI for the second 45 minutes.
Wes Foderingham will start the second half in goal, with Greece international Dinos Mavropanos and returning Morocco international Nayef Aguerd, Academy of Football graduate Kaelan Casey and new signing El Hadji Malick Diouf in defence.
Freddie Potts and Lewis Orford will anchor the midfield, with Brazil international Lucas Paquetá and Czechia captain Tomáš Souček providing creativity and attacking threat.
Luis Guilherme will support Northern Ireland international Callum Marshall in attack, with the latter hoping to build on a Player of the Season-winning loan spell at Huddersfield Town.
Six Academy of Football prospects have travelled as part of the squad and will be on the substitutes’ bench – goalkeepers Finn Herrick and Lanre Awesu, defenders Ezra Mayers and Emeka Adiele and midfielders Mohamadou Kanté and Preston Fearon.
Crysencio Summerville continues to work his way back to full fitness.
West Ham United (first half): Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Scarles, Rodríguez, Ward-Prowse, Irving, Bowen ©, Cornet, Füllkrug
West Ham United (second half): Foderingham, Casey, Mavropanos, Aguerd, Diouf, Orford, Potts, Paquetá, Souček ©, Luis Guilherme, Marshall
Subs: Herrick (GK), Awesu (GK), Mayers, Adiele, Kanté, Fearon
